


Pink Skies (I know exactly where we should go)

by Dexfsoul



Series: Pink Skies [3]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Everyone loves Taeyong, M/M, Non-binary Taeyong, Platonic Kissing, Polyamory, Transphobia, doyoung is a good friend, if you cant respect they/them pronouns leave, taeyong get misgendered but doyoung fixes that real quick
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-03
Updated: 2020-11-03
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:00:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27360898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dexfsoul/pseuds/Dexfsoul
Summary: “Do we like, tell them we know their soulmate or?”“No, it’s supposed to, like, happen naturally or something.”“But they’ve probably been waiting for so long.”
Relationships: Dong Si Cheng | WinWin/Moon Taeil, Dong Si Cheng | WinWin/Moon Taeil/Nakamoto Yuta, Dong Si Cheng | WinWin/Nakamoto Yuta, Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun/Lee Taeyong, Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun/Lee Taeyong/Suh Youngho | Johnny, Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun/Suh Youngho | Johnny, Kim Dongyoung | Doyoung/Kim Jungwoo, Lee Taeyong/Suh Youngho | Johnny, Mark Lee/Wong Yuk Hei | Lucas, Moon Taeil/Nakamoto Yuta
Series: Pink Skies [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1998109
Comments: 6
Kudos: 103





	Pink Skies (I know exactly where we should go)

**Author's Note:**

> I've checked several times, but just in case, if you see Taeyong's pronouns being mixed up please let me know so I can fix it.

For most people, your eighteenth birthday is filled with excitement. Friends and family surrounding you wanting to know what your tattoo looked like. Unfortunately for Taeyong, they didn’t get that; however, they did have Doyoung bringing them a carton of their favourite ice cream, and for them, that was enough. Taeyong didn’t care much for the idea of soulmates, they were sure that whoever their soulmate was wouldn’t want them once they met. Taeyong, sadly, hadn't seen much acceptance of their gender identity other than Doyoung, their lifelong friend who was more than happy to drop out of school with Taeyong when their parents kicked them out and run to the city with little to no money. They made a lot of progress within the year they had lived together, meeting up with an older male named Taeil who was starting his own coffee shop. Doyoung and Taeyong became the first two employees to work there, and the boss would be lying if he said he hadn’t grown fond and protective of the younger workers. 

“Let’s see your tattoos!” Doyoung had exclaimed, tugging on Taeyong’s wrist. 

Taeyong had reluctantly revealed the tattoos adorning their wrist. Only to look up at their younger friend in confusion. 

“You’ve got two tattoos, like Taeil.” 

Taeil had looked so happy as he told the younger two about how he was sure his boyfriends Yuta and Sicheng would wake up with matching tattoos, but Taeyong felt their heart sink at the thought of having two soulmates. Studying the small banana and peach on their wrist, Taeyong sighed. 

“Great! Just fucking great!” They flopped backward onto their bed. 

“Don’t act like that! It’s not that bad.” Doyoung struggled to sit Taeyong back up as they had made their body go limp, “You’re being overdramatic. Get up, let’s go do something, Taeil gave us the day off.” 

“Fine,” Taeyong whined in false annoyance. 

As time went by Taeyong found themself hating the idea of soulmates less and less. In fact, as they watched the people around them grow and fall in love, they began craving their soulmates more and more. Taeil said it’s because you’re not supposed to spend a lot of time away from your soulmates once you’ve received your tattoos, basically, you’ll start to crave them whether you want to or not. 

Taeyong’s craving only grew once Yuta’s birthday approached and the boy awoke with a tattoo matching Taeil’s. What once seemed a terrifying fate now seemed comforting in Taeyong’s eyes. A soulmate would be someone who loves them no matter what, at least that’s what Taeil and Doyoung assured them, and the thought of loving, not one, but two people that loved them just as much seemed much more possible now that Taeyong had decided that they weren’t going to let their insecurities rule their life. 

Doyoung’s eighteenth birthday was very different from Taeyong’s but in the best way possible. Doyoung loved his tattoo with every ounce of himself, and the then nineteen-year-old Taeyong couldn’t be happier to see their younger friend’s enthusiasm over the small designs. After Doyoung spent some time speaking with his parents (another difference between his and Taeyong’s birthdays) their small friend group, now consisting of Taeil and his two boyfriend’s, went out to lunch together to celebrate. Doyoung had spent the entire time peeking at the wrists of any person he passed. 

“Calm down,” Taeyong had giggled, grabbing Doyoung’s chin and turning his face. “You’ll find them soon enough.” 

Doyoung cheeks had gone red as he slapped Taeyong’s hand away, “Shut up. Shouldn’t you be looking for your soulmate as well? It’s been a year.” 

Taeyong had shrugged, scuffing their shoes against the concrete. Truthfully, Taeyong couldn’t wait to meet their soulmates, but they were never the type to put themself out there.

“I’m not too worried about it, now come on we’ve gotta catch up with the lovebirds.” 

Taeyong’s craving had turned into a full-blown depression by the time Sicheng’s birthday had rolled around the next year. Sicheng had, of course, awoke to find that he was Yuta and Taeil’s soulmate, and while Taeyong was happy for them, they couldn’t find it within themself to celebrate like everyone else was. Noticing how the other had seemed off, Yuta had taken a seat beside the older, letting his fingers comb through their hair. 

“I’m not gonna be like Doyoung and Taeil and say you need to put yourself out there,” Yuta started, gaining Taeyong’s attention, “but this is obviously affecting you. I know it’s scary, interacting with others when you aren’t sure if they’ll even accept the real you, but I wish you knew how little their opinions mattered.” 

Taeyong looked up at the other, a little taken back at his words. 

“You’re amazing Taeyong, and if people don’t want to see that because of something as insignificant as your gender, then that’s on them. You shouldn’t feel ashamed of something you can’t change. Fuck everyone else, we know how incredible you are, and as soon as you realize that, and open yourself up to be loved, it’ll come for you.” 

Yuta smiled, placing a chaste kiss on Taeyong’s temple before getting up to continue celebrating. Taeyong slouched back against the couch, letting Yuta’s words process. They had never heard that before, it was always ‘put yourself out there, Taeyong’ and ‘people are more accepting than you think!’, but they had never heard someone say that love had to start with yourself first, but maybe, just maybe, Yuta was right. 

Taeyong’s mindset changed a lot after that night. They no longer viewed their lack of a soulmate as ‘boohoo, no one wants me’, but rather ‘they’re out there waiting on me’. All of their friends would have to admit that Taeyong grew a lot as a person over the next year. The biggest change would have to be their clothing. Taeyong was used to wearing baggy clothing that hid every aspect of their body, so when they walked out of their room sporting a bright pink skirt their friends couldn’t help but be shocked. 

“Uh, opinions?” Taeyong had asked, doing a spin in front of the four boys. 

Sicheng had been the first to respond, squealing, “You’re so cute, Tae!” 

Yuta seemed to agree as he grabbed Taeyong's cheeks, peppering kisses on their face. Taeyong giggled as they tried to escape. 

"You look really pretty, Tae," Yuta grinned. 

Taeyong's eyes lit up at the word. Yuta always seemed to know exactly what they needed to hear.

After some time the boys wouldn’t even blink at Taeyong’s rotating clothing choices. If they wanted to feel pretty, then they would, if they wanted to feel handsome, they would, if they wanted a mix of both, there were plenty of clothing items to mix and match. Yuta was probably most happy about the switch, knowing his words had strongly impacted the older, allowing them to grow into the happy person they were. 

“Tae!” Doyoung called from his room, “Taeil just texted, he’s coming over! Says it’s important!” 

“He’s probably firing us!” Taeyong teased, shoving another spoonful of cereal into their mouth. 

“Don’t jinx us,” Doyoung mumbled, exiting his room. 

Doyoung answered the door after Taeil knocked a few minutes later. 

“You look way too happy, are you getting married or something?” 

Taeil chuckled, “No, but I do have good news.” 

Doyoung led the oldest to the couch, Taeyong trailing behind. 

“What’s up?” Taeyong asked, taking a seat next to Doyoung. 

“My business has been going really well, and we were able to open up a second shop in a new location,” Taeil grinned, “The buildings almost finished and I’ve been thinking about it a lot and I decided that I want to stay here and manage the original shop, but that means I’ll need a new manager for the second shop. I know it’s a big offer and you’ll need some time to think about it, but you two are the employees I’ve had the longest and two of my closest friends, and I really don’t think there’s anyone I’d rather ask than you two, so will you two manage my second café?” 

Taeyong’s mouth hung open in shock. Doyoung wasn’t doing much better, he just kept blinking repeatedly. 

“Hold on, fuck-” Taeyong shook their head attempting to clear their thoughts. “How far away is this second café?” 

“About an hour.” 

“An hour!” Doyoung exclaimed, “We’d have to completely move!” 

“I know, I know,” Taeil reassured, “but I’m not just gonna leave you two hanging. Yuta, Sicheng, and I will help you find a new place and move. I’ll even make the first payment if you need me to.” 

“Can we have some time to think about it?” Taeyong requested. 

“Of course, I’ll go so you two can talk. Call me when you’ve made a choice, okay?” 

“This is huge,” Doyoung spoke up after Taeil shut the door. 

Taeyong nodded in agreement, “But something inside of me is saying we need to take it.” 

“Unfortunately, I know exactly what you mean,” Doyoung sighed, facing the other, “Have we already made our choice?” 

“I think so.” 

“You call Taeil, I’ll start packing.” 

The move was much easier than expected, they managed to find a two-bedroom apartment only a ten-minute walk away from the café. As promised, Yuta, Sicheng, and Taeil were there to help them unpack. The couple stayed the night, planning on leaving early the next morning.

"Stay safe, okay?" Yuta pressed a kiss to Taeyong's forehead. 

Taeyong hummed, "We will." 

Taeil and Sicheng left kisses on Taeyong's cheeks as Yuta attempted to peck Doyoung's, who squared up. After the couple left a silence fell over the apartment. It was just the two of them again. 

At first the pair were lonely without their friends to accompany them, but it was bearable. Managing was also going smoother than they thought, Doyoung absolutely loved it and caught onto everything quickly. Taeyong, however, wasn’t as fond of it and much preferred waiting and taking orders, so while they were both technically the managers, they let Doyoung take care of managing while Taeyong trained the new workers. 

The night before they officially opened, Doyoung strutted into Taeyong’s room with bleach and two boxes of hair dye. 

“I am not,” Taeyong stated, eyeing the boxes. 

“Yes, you are.” 

Opening night Taeyong took orders with freshly dyed pink hair. The night, surprisingly, didn’t go terribly despite one of the workers, Donghyuck, spilling a very hot coffee on an old lady, and by their second week of business, they were basically professionals. 

Taeyong smiled as a group of three boys approached the counter, “Hi, welcome to Moon Café, may I take your order?” 

“Hi, yeah, I’d like-” A boy with brown hair started before a red-haired boy cut in. 

“Can I order you actually?” He flirted, crossing his arms on the countertop and smirking. 

“Dude, oh my god,” The brown-haired mumbled, covering his face in embarrassment as the third boy tried to cover his smile. 

“No, sorry,” Taeyong played along, “I’m not up for sale.” 

The red-haired grinned even wider at Taeyong’s response, seeing that the older was willing to tease back, “No, but seriously, can I take you out sometime?” 

Before Taeyong could respond, Doyoung emerged from the back, something drawing him in. 

“Is there something wrong here?” He asked, eyeing the red-haired wearily. 

“No,” The boy responded, now eyeing Doyoung, “I just thought that he-” 

“They,” Doyoung corrected instantly, cocking his head as if daring the younger to say something different. 

Taeyong felt their face flush at Doyoung’s straightforwardness but shot him a grateful smile nonetheless. 

“My bad,” The red-haired smiled sheepishly, “I thought they were really cute until you walked out, now I think something else has caught my eye.” 

Doyoung raised an eyebrow, clearly not amused. 

“I’m sorry about him,” The brown-haired boy tried to cut back in, “We’d like to order-” 

“No, no,” The third boy stopped him, “Let him continue, he has his ways.” 

“Thank you, Lucas,” The red-haired grinned, the other boy, Lucas, saluted in response then burst out laughing at the brown-haired boy's distraught expression. 

The boy turned back to Doyoung and Taeyong, “Have either of you found your soulmate yet?” 

“Yes, we both have.” 

Taeyong elbowed Doyoung harshly, “No, neither of us have.” 

Doyoung winced, holding onto his side and glaring at Taeyong. 

“Let’s reveal our tattoos then! Just to be sure we aren’t meant to be or anything.” 

“Here we go again,” The brown-haired sighed. 

Taeyong shrugged, “Why not?” 

Doyoung looked back and forth between the two people staring at him and sighed, agreeing although reluctant. 

The three of them pulled their sleeves up in sync, both Taeyong and Doyoung’s eyes shooting down to the wrist opposite of them. The café went silent for a moment, Doyoung’s eyes frantically shooting between his wrist and the wrist of the boy stood in front of him. 

“Holy fuck,” The red-haired whispered, meeting Doyoung’s eyes, “I’m uh, I’m Jungwoo.” 

Doyoung stared back at the younger in shock, it felt as if his whole world had just fallen into place, “Doyoung.” 

While those two were awkwardly chatting with one another, Lucas glanced over at the pink-haired who was running their fingers over their wrist pouting slightly. Craning his neck, Lucas caught a glimpse of the other’s wrist and nudged his boyfriend. 

“Uh, Mark.” 

“Yeah?” Mark questioned, in shock over how Jungwoo had somehow managed to find his soulmate. 

“The cashier, they have Johnny and Jaehyun’s tattoos on their wrist.” 

“What?” Mark snapped his head towards the pink-haired’s wrist. 

“Do we like, tell them we know their soulmate or?” 

“No,” Mark shook his head, “It’s supposed to, like, happen naturally or something.” 

“But they’ve probably been waiting for so long,” Lucas sympathized. 

Mark thought about it, it had been three years since Johnny had gotten his tattoo and one since Jaehyun had gotten his, who knows how long the other had been waiting. 

“I’ll think of something,” Mark mumbled. 

Right then he caught the end of Jungwoo’s sentence, “-should come over to my apartment after you get off work.” 

“Yeah,” Mark interjected himself into the conversation, “We’re actually heading there now. You should both come, when do you get off?” 

Doyoung hummed checking his watch, “Ten minutes.” 

“Great we’ll wait for you two.” 

The group left the counter, taking up a booth in the corner. 

“Did he say both of us?” Taeyong whispered. 

“Yeah,” Doyoung rubbed his nape, “Please come, don’t make me go alone.” 

They continued to bicker until Taeyong finally agreed, meanwhile, the other three were huddled close together whispering amongst themselves. 

“Are you sure?” Jungwoo asked. 

“Of course we’re sure, we both saw it,” Mark whispered back, “They’re Johnny and Jaehyun’s third soulmate.” 

“How do you think they’ll react?” Lucas asked giddily. 

“I honestly have no idea. They didn’t really like the thought of a third soulmate a year ago, but maybe that’ll change once they meet them.” Jungwoo sounded hopeful. 

“Yeah, as long as Johnny has his coffee in his- oh fuck,” Mark groaned, “I forgot to order the coffee.” 

Jungwoo and Lucas laughed at the youngest as he shuffled back up to the counter with an embarrassed look on his face. 

“Aw man,” Lucas whined, crossing his arms, “This means I’m not their third soulmate.” 

Jungwoo nodded sympathetically, “I feel you.” 

The shift ended pretty quickly and soon the group was heading to Jungwoo’s car. Doyoung got the passenger’s seat of course, so that left Taeyong being squished between Mark and Lucas, the latter cooing over them as if they were the cutest thing alive the entire ride, luckily Mark wasn’t a jealous person. 

Lucas helped them out of the car once they had parked, clinging onto Mark right after. Jungwoo led the way upstairs, Lucas pushing in front of him once they approached the door and knocking on it repeatedly. 

Jungwoo shoved the taller out of the way and huffed a snappy, ‘move I live here’, before unlocking the door and letting the other’s in. Taeyong stuck close to Lucas, who they had become strangely comfortable with, and looked around the place. Their eyes drifted to the sofa where a tall black-haired boy was getting up. Taeyong looked the taller up and down as their heart rate began to pick up. Quickly looking away, Taeyong meets eyes with a second boy that seems startled by the sudden eye contact and stumbles off the couch. He makes his way over to Taeyong and stretches his hand out. He smiled nervously, dimples making an appearance in his dusty pink cheeks. He was adorable, Taeyong thought, like a peach. 

Taeyong slipped their hand into the other’s, grinning at the way the boy's eyes squinted when he smiled wider.

“I’m Jaehyun.” 

Taeyong felt their heart skip a beat, “Taeyong.”


End file.
